Drive for ring rails of ring spinning frames



Aug. 15, 1967 Filed Sept. 1964 F. STEFFENINI DRIVE FOR RING RAILS OF RING SPINNING FRAMES 2 Sheets-Sheet l lllllllllll r Illlllllllll Willi- A g; 15, 1 F. STEFFENINI 3,335,559

DRIVE FOR RING RAILS OF RING SPINNING FRAMES Filed Sept. '5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent 9 Claims. Cl. 57--99) The invention relates to ring spinning frames and particularly to a device for driving the ring rails of such machines.

As is known, ring rails have to carry out continual up and down movements in order to permit the spooling in layers of the cops. They normally possess a considerable length and, therefore, also have a substantial weight, so that their drive, the regular performance of their strokes and above all their horizontal guidance during the movement over the whole length cause considerable difliculties.

With conventional ring spinning frames the ring rails are usually supported at a number of places over their length by pillars resting on oscillating arms which are fastened to a shaft supported in the machine framing and extending over the whole length of the machine, which shaft is turned to and fro by chains or belts running over toothed sectors fastened to said shaft from one end or from both ends of the machine, and which by means of the oscillating arms transmits the movement to the supporting pillars and, thereby, to the ring rails. In the gear-boxes provided at the machine ends there are accommodated corresponding gears for controlling a cam disc, which through intermediate rod systems control the chains or belts in order to impart to the ring rails the necessary ground-and supportstrokes.

The various parts moved to and fro possess corresponding reference positions for the synchronization of the movement-transmitting members and for setting them, so as to attain the necessary parallel running.

The whole driving mechanism however is complicated and is composed of a plurality of parts which in operation undergo wear and tear, whence in the long run there appear supporting clearances which accumulate and cause irregularities in running; this requires constant servicing, frequent resetting and also the replacing of entire units. Also the driving members and gears are subject to elevated stresses and, therefore, to rapid wear and tear, particularly the control cam for the chains or belts, the highest point of which has to control the reversal of movement and therefore is particularly stressed.

It has already been proposed to obviate the inconvenience of excessive and rapid wear in particular of the control cam (cam disc), by employing in lieu of the latter, cylinders controlled by a fluid under pressure. Although one source of difiiculty was eliminated nevertheless, there still remain the mechanical movementtransmitting members, which need frequent re-setting and the synchronization of the movements was still entrusted, as before, to the elements subjected to numerous and intensive wear, which control and produce the to and fro movements of the ring rails.

According to the invention there is provided a device for driving the ring rails of ring spinning machines, which eliminates the defects and inconveniences of the devices heretofore known and warrants uniform, tranquil operation without play.

The control device according to the invention consists of at least one lifting and lowering device controlled by compressed fluid and acting between the machine framework and the rising and descending ring rails, which in 3,335,559 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 cooperation with rack guides and toothed pinions rotatably supported in the ring rails, controls the synchronous ring rail movements.

The cooperation, provided according to the invention, of one or more control devices with compressed fluid, with the rack guides, is important and of decisive importance, because the compressed-fluid control devices alon would not be in a position of ensuring the synchronous parallel running of the ring rails.

Only by the contemporaneous provision of those racks preferably accommodated on the stationary machineframework, with which toothed pinions are constantly meshing, which latter are rotatably supported in the movable ring rails, there is given a guarantee for a synchronous parallel running. While the pressure-fluid control devices cause the up and down movements of the ring rails, the rack guides with the respective toothed pinions insure that the ring rails will move parallel to themselves over their whole length.

Another feature of the driving device according to the invention permits resetting, in a simple manner, of the desired parallel and straight-lined guidance of the ring rails, to compensate for clearance or play between the teeth.

The parts meshing with one another may present straight or inclined toothings and may even be shaped as worm-gears and worm-wheels. Moreover they may be made of any materials, such as elastic materials for causing smooth and quiet running, or of stainless materials.

The invention is more fully explained with reference to several embodiments of the invention taken with reference to the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a ring spinning frame in section with a driving device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows in plan view a portion of a ring rail;

FIGS. 4 and 5 diagramatically show in partial section an embodiment of the toothed guide means; and

FIG. 6 is a view in detail of the toothed guide means constituted by a rack and pinion engagement;

FIG. 7 is a view partially in section of the detail of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view through the device of FIG. 7; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are transverse sectional views through the device of FIG. 7 showing respective embodiments for setting and re-setting of the rack and pinions.

In FIGS. 1 to 5 the machine comprises a stationary portion 1 and a portion 2 which is movable up and down, comprising ring rails 10 and 11. The ring rails 10 and 11 are provided in known manner with perforations 12 (see FIG. 3), through which pass spindles (not shown).

As FIG. 1 illustrates, on the stationary machine framework 1 there are fastened pistons 3 and 4 oppositely directed, each of which penetrates into a cylinder (not visible) for compressed fluid in a common casing 20. By introduction of compressed fluid into one of the cylinders and contemporaneous discharge of compressed fluid from the other cylinder, a displacement of the casing 20 is attained in a direction along the two stationary coaxial pistons, the axes of which however may even be arranged parallel. If the compressed-fluid supply and discharge into and from the two cylinders is reversed, then the direction of movement of the casing 20 is also reversed, so that in case of cyclic control of the compressedfluid fiow there results an alternate up and down movement. The casing 20 is rigidly connected by means of the 3 arms 14 and 16 with the movable part 2 of the machine, so that also this part and, with it, the ring rails and 11 follow the up and down movement of casing 20.

Over the whole length of the machine there are arranged a number of such compressed-fluid control devices, of which in FIG. 2 there are represented by way of example three devices namely the movable casing 20 with the upper stationary piston 3, and similar casings 21 and 22 with the upper stationary pistons 13 and 23 respectively.

It will be understood that the supply and discharge of the compressed fluid takes place synchronously in all of the devices.

However, since by means of these hydraulic devices it is not possible to obtain complete synchronism and parallel running rings, it is contemplated according to the invention that there be provided rack guides which operate to maintain the tables horizontally as is more fully set forth hereinafter.

On the front wall of the machine framework there are provided racks 7-8, 17-18, 27-28 and on the rear wall corresponding racks of which in FIG. 1 only one is visible, and is indicated by 9. In the movable machine part 2 on the contrary there are rotatably supported at the front side on a common shaft 19 rotatable toothed pinions 5, 15, 25, which mesh each with a pair of racks 7-8, 17-18 and 2728 respectively. Analogously at the rear side of the movable machine part 2 there is rotatably supported a shaft 24 with corresponding toothed pinions, of which in FIG. 1 one is visible and is indicated by 6, which meshes with the rack 9.

The racks are accurately adjustable with respect to one another, relative to the associated toothed pinions and every group with respect to the others, for which purpose there are provided suitable setting means which in FIG. 2 are indicated symbolically by the reference numerals 33, 34 and 35, 36 and which may for example be wedges, jacks or the like. In that Way it is possible accurately to set and to re-set the position of the shafts carrying the toothed pinions and, therefore, also the position in space of the movable machine part 2 and with it the ring rails 10 and 11.

By the engagement of the toothed pinion with the racks moreover there is attained an accurately synchronous and parallel running of the machine part 2 which is moved up and down by the compressed-fluid devices.

In lieu of racks and toothed pinions it is possible to employ for the same purpose also other kinds of toothing connections.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 are represented other embodiments of such tooth-guides.

By 1 is again indicated the stationary machine-framework and by 2 the machine-part displaceable up and down with respect thereto.

As visible here on the machine framework 1 there are arranged parallel side by side four racks 37-38-3940, with which there meshes in common a single toothed pinion 41 rotatably supported in the machine-part 2 and having corresponding length. For the setting of these racks there are provided also in this case setting means 43, 44 of a kind not represented in more detail and which may for example be wedges, jacks or the like.

At the opposite side of the machine framework 1 there may be provided, as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 5, an analogous system of four racks 505152-53, with which meshes the toothed pinion 42, and which too are correspondingly to be set.

As a compressed-fluid control device for causing the to and fro movement of the machine part 2 with respect to the machine framework 1 there is provided-as illustrated in FIG. 5-a double-acting cylinder with the pressure chambers 46, 47, in which there is displaceable a piston 48, which transmits its movement by means of the piston-rod 45 to the machine-part 2.

FIGS. 6 to 10 show further embodiments for setting of the toothings meshing with each other.

According to FIGS. 6 and 7, of which FIG. 7 shows the same elements at FIG. 6 partly in section and in enlarged scale, with the rack there mesh two toothed pinions 61, 62., which both are mounted on a common shaft 63, the pinion 62 being fitted by means of a spline 64 (FIG. 7) engaging into a groove 65 (FIG. 8) of the pinion, rigidly on the shaft 63, while the pinion 61 is adjustable in its angular position with respect to the shaft. For this purpose there is provided a setting screw 67 represented in FIG. 10, which is screwed into the pinion 61 and which by its front end presses against a shoulder 66 provided on the shaft 63. As diagrammatically shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to provide, in lieu of a setting screw, also an automatically acting setting and re-setting device, represented as spring 68.

In both cases it is possible either manually or automatically to re-set the position of the pinion 61 with respect to the shaft 63 in the direction of rotation, whereby any possible play between the teeth of the pinion and the toothing of the rack can be eliminated, because the second pinion 62 is fitted non-rotatably and non-displaceably on shaft 63.

I claim:

1. In a ring spinning frame having a ring rail: device for raising and lowering the ring rail, said device comprising lifting and lowering means adapted for being controlled by a pressure fluid and coupled directly between the frame and the rail, a plurality of rack means connected to said frame and spaced therealong, and a plurality of pinion means rotatably secured to said rail in mesh with respective rack means to constitute meshing sets for controlling the position of the rail during lifting and lowering thereof, one of said rack means of each set and said pinion means including a. pair of members engageable with the other of said means, said pair of members being relatively adjustable for adjusting the relative position of said rack means and pinion means to adjust in turn the relative position of the rail and frame and compensate for wear between the rack means and the pinion means.

2. In a frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said rack means comprises a pair of spaced racks on said frame and the plurality of pinion means comprises a plurality of spaced pinions on said rail; each pinion being in engagement with a respective pair of racks, said racks of each pair being supported from the frame for longitudinal adjustment relative to one another to maintain the rail in a particular attitude in which it will be driven parallel to itself.

3. In a frame as claimed in claim 2, wherein each rack of said pairs is vertical and is adjustable vertically relative to the other rack of said pair to regulate the position of the associated pinion relative to said pairs of racks and to the other pinions to establish horizontal attitude for the rail.

4. In a frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifting and lowering means comprises a double action pison and cylinder arrangement coupled directly to the rail.

5. In a frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said rack means comprises a rack on said frame, each said pinion means comprising a pair of pinion gears in engagement with an associated rack, a common shaft secured to said rail and supporting said pinion gears, one of said pinion gears of each pair being secured to said shaft for rotation therewith in fixed angular position, the other pinion gear of each pair being secured in adjustable angular position relative to said shaft.

6. In a frame as claimed in claim 5 comprising a set screw between said other pinion gear and the shaft enabling adjustment of the angular position of the latter.

7. In a frame as claimed in claim 5 comprising a spring between said other pinion gear and the shaft enabling adjustment of the angular position of the latter.

8. In a frame as claimed in claim 5 comprising a spline connection between said one pinion gear of each pair and the shaft.

9. In a frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two ring rails are provided on the frame at opposite sides thereof, said plurality of rack means being disposed at the opposite sides of the frame, each rail supporting respective pinion means in mesh with the rack means on one side of the frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Mayor 57-136 Cox 57-99 Harris 57-99 X Bauer 242-262 Lamb et al. 242-263 Ozaki 57-99 10 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A RING SPINNING FRAME HAVING A RING RIAL: DEVICE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE RING RAIL, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING LIFTING AND LOWERING MEANS ADAPTED FOR BEING CONTROLLED BY A PRESSURE FLUID AND COUPLED DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE RAIL, A PLURALITY OF RACK MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME AND SPACED THEREALONG, AND A PLURALITY OF PINION MEANS ROTATABLY SECURED TO SAID RAIL IN MESH WITH RESPECTIVE RACK MEANS TO CONSTITUTE MESHING SETS FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF THE RAIL DURING LIFTING AND LOWERING THEREOF, ONE OF SAID RACK MEANS OF EACH SET AND SAID PINOIN MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF MEMBERS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OTHER OF SAID MEANS, SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS BEING RELATIVELY ADJUSTABLE FOR ADJUSTING THE RELATIVE POSITION OF SAID RACK MEANS AND PINION MEANS TO ADJUST IN TURN THE RELATIVE POSITION OF THE RAIL AND FRAME AND COMPENSATE FOR WEAR BETWEEN THE RACK MEANS AND THE PINION MEANS. 